If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Announcement

Collapse

Down for Maintenance

Squarebirds.org will be down for a few hours on Sunday morning (Feb. 24th) just after midnight Eastern Standard Time, for maintenance. Eastern time is Coordinated Universal Time (or UTC-4), for all our international members. - Dave

Comment

Each assembly plant produced ~800 cars per day. That's 8 X 5 = 4,000 wheel assemblies. Yes, assembly because there are two welded stampings to every wheel.

Ford had 20 assembly plants so now the number is 80,000 wheel assemblies each day, just to satisfy production.

What single plant can make 80,000 wheels per day? Even if we did have one plant, what happens if they have a fire or a power outage. All of Ford would shut down.

Many places made Ford wheels. Each one sent their wheels to the same place. Since T-bird was made in Wixom and Fairlane cars were made elsewhere, it makes sense that the product might deviate IF Ford approved it. Wheel slots are insignificant as far as the product goes, especially if the wheel wears a full wheel cover. - Dave

Comment

So an outside supplier produced these wheels? That would make it likely some other car makers used these non-slotted wheels and probably even the same exact spec wheel? This meaning there should be another potential source of these wheels?

Dean

Comment

So an outside supplier produced these wheels? That would make it likely some other car makers used these non-slotted wheels and probably even the same exact spec wheel? This meaning there should be another potential source of these wheels?

Dean

Kelsey Hayes made the majority of the wheels for Ford and probably other companies back then. However Ford and GM used different hole spacing so the wheels aren't interchangeable. Chrysler did use the same hole spacing as Ford (5 x 4.5 or 114.3) at times so some Chrysler rims may be interchangeable.

Comment

Iron Mountain or Mountain was another. At least the solid unvented wheels should be stronger than the vented. Remember the Tbird at this stage was a great departure from the two-seater Baby Bird. A high performance, luxuriously appointed four-seater sports coupe, if you will.

The OP has several hundred dollars in value represented by the three unvented wheels. The vented wheel may also be high dollar if the date code can be uncovered, or logos.

Any submissions to this site and any post on this site becomes property of Squarebirds.org . The webmasters reserve the right to edit and modify any submissions to this site. All material on this is site is copyrighted by the Squarebirds.org. Reproduction by any means other than for personal use is strictly prohibited. Permission to use material on this site can be obtained by contacting the webmasters. Copyright 2002-2018 by Squarebirds.org.